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"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

James 5:14-15

"By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passon and death of Christ.."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1499

"Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick. It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this sacrament. The faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this sacrament. The sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assited by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1516

The Anointing of the Sick is not to be received only at the point of death; it should be received as soon as a person becomes seriously ill or before major surgery. Please e-mail Sherri Haverkamp in the Pastoral Office if you or a family member becomes ill, or call her at (940) 665-5395.